i r ^ 3 1833 00669 4274 forbcs of forbesficld Only 1^0 copies pointed. No.../.^.. Memoriah of tde family of_ ' d^orbes ol ^orhesfield Witd Tfotes on Connected Morgans, Duncans and Jergusons 5dy Jllexander "Jorhes Jiherdeen W6e Swings ^Printers 1905 1411191 Wo my f^epdews. Jit your request J 6ave 6ad put into literary form tde facts contained in tde following pages. Wdey dave been collected at considerable trouble, but J tdink J may say tdeir accuracy may be relied upon. 3 cannot exaggerate or adequately acknowledge my obligations to Mr. ^. J. Jlnderson, Jsibrarian of tde University, and Mr. Ji. M. Munro, Assistant 6ity Qdamberlain, for tde interest tdey dove tdrougdout taken in tde subject, and tde invaluable delp tdey dave given during its preparation, wdicd das greatly ligdtened my labours and added to tde value of tde work. Alexander 'Jorbes. 1 Jilbyn Werrace, Jiberdeen, November, 190^. Contents Forbes of Forbes i Forbes of Pitsligo 5 Forbes of Newe 8 Forbes in New Balgonen 13 Forbes of Forbesfield 17 Genealogical Tree 32 Forbes Appendices, A. to S. 35 Family of Morgan 83 Morgan Appendix, T. 89 Family of Duncan 97 Duncan Appendix, U. 102 Family of Ferguson 107 Ferguson Appendix, V. - - 114 J^ist of Illustrations PITSLIGO Castle Frontispiece Face Page Alexander, Fourth Lord Forbes of Pitsligo - 7 forbesfield and bonnymuir ----- 17 James Forbes of Forbesfield and Lieut. Robert Forbes 19 Baillie James Forbes 22 Elspet Gordon Morgan Forbes . - 24 James Forbes and Alexander Forbes - - - 25 John Forbes, O.C, and Alexander Forbes of MoRKEU 27 Agnes Forbes Simpson and Elsie Gordon Morgan Forbes 28 Archibald Forbes Simpson and Henry Simpson - 29 Kingsland House and i Albyn Terrace - - 30 forbes of forbcs I. EHincan de Forbes The first of the Family of Forbes of whom there is authentic record was Duncan de Forbes, who had a Charter by King Alexander III. of the lands of Forbes in 1272. "King Alexander gave and disponed to Duncan Forbeys tenementum de Forbeys, that is the lands and here- tage of Forbeys quhilk charter is yet extant."^ The old evidents of the Lords Forbes were revised by Sir John Skene, His Majesty's Clerk Register, in the month of September, 1593, when he stated that Alexander III., in the 23rd year of his reign, which is the year of God 1272, gave and disponed to Duncan Lord Forbes terras et tenementum de Forbes.^ n» John de Forbes whose lands were forfeited after the conquest of Scotland by the English in 1303, was probably son of the last—and Governor of the Castle of Urquhart. Reference to the forfeiture of John Forbes' lands is made in 1306 when competing claims were made for them by Robert Chival and William Comyn brother to Sir John Comyn.3 That he was Governor of the Castle of Urquhart rests on the tradition given by Boece, who states that after a brave resistance against King Edward, the castle was taken by storm and the inmates put to the sword, except the wife of Alexander Bois, the Governor, who escaped, and that she was delivered of a posthumous son of whom the Forbeses are descended. As to the origin of the name this account is at variance with fact, but if the story is otherwise correct the probability is that John de Forbes was the Governor and Sir Christian who appears to have 1 Note by Sir John Skene in De Verboruin Sigiiificatione. 2 Antiquities of Aberdeen and Banff, IV. 372. 3 Palgrave's Documents, «S:c., illustrating the History of Scotland, I. pp. 312, 314; Antiquities, IV. 373. A I '(Bde family of distinguished himself under King Robert, the son by whom the Hne of the family was preserved. in. Sir Christian de Forbes who had a charter from King Robert Bruce in 1325. A charter was granted by King Robert Bruce to Sir Christian de Forbes Knight of the third part of the davach of Ardach and of the third part of the davach of Skeeth in the barony of Deskford dated 27th March 1 325.1 According to Boece, Forbes fell at Duplin in 1332 and the name was again preserved by a posthumous son. Sir Christian is not after- wards mentioned and probably did fall at Duplin, and the absence of the name in official documents issued at the period seems to indicate that few of the family returned from the fatal field. IV. John de Forbes I" 1359 John de Forbes " dominus ejusdem " was witness to two charters granted by Thomas Earl of Mar.2 He had charters of several lands by King David II. and King Robert II. On 3rd July, 1364, David II. confirmed a charter by Thomas Earl of Mar to John de Forbes "dominus ejusdem" of the lands of Edin- banchory and Craglogy. He also had a charter of confirmation of the same lands 15th November, 1374.3 In the same year (1374) he was acting Sheriff of Aberdeen for Alexander Eraser of Philorth.4 On 21st October, 1375, he was one of the two Procurators for the Bishop of Moray in the settlement of a claim by one of the Bishop's tenants.5 He had a charter granted by the Bishop of Moray to himself and Margaret his wife of the lands of Fynrossy, on the Loch of Spynie, dated i8th July, 1378. In April, 1380, he appears as witness to the confirmation of a charter by Andrew of Leslie of the lands of Kinbruyn and Badechash in the barony of Rothienorman.^ I Antiquities, IV, 760. 2 Antiquities, IV. 716, 717. Antiquities, IV. 3 373, 374 ; Maitland Club Miscall. I. 378. 4 Exchequer Rolls, II. 426. 5 Reg. Epis. Morav. 180, 181. 6 Antiquities, III. 552. — yorbes of 'Jorhes He died before 20th August, 1387, and it is said "was a gude man wise mychty and manly in his tyme.'.'^ By his wife, Margaret, he had a son, John, who suceeeded him. V* Sir John de Forbes married Elizabeth, daughter of Kennedy of Dunure, by whom he had four sons : 1. Sir Alexander, his heir. He was among the Scottish Forces sent to the assistance of Charles, Dauphin of France (afterwards King Charles VH.), and had a share in the victory obtained over the English at Bauge, in Anjou, 22nd March, 142 1, in which the Duke of Clarence, commander of the hostile army, was killed. Soon after, at the desire of King James I. (then the prisoner of King Henry V.), he left the French service. He obtained a letter of safe conduct, dated at Dover, 9th June, 1421, to come by water into England, and remain there and go from thence ; also another dated 14th October, 142 1, permitting Alex- ander Forbes, Knight, Lord of Forbes in Scotland, and forty men-at-arms with their attendants to the number of 100 persons or under, a safe conduct into England, He was shortly after 1436 created a Peer of Parliament. Alexander Lord Forbes died in 1448 ; he married Lady Elizabeth Douglas, only daughter of George Earl of Angus, granddaughter of Robert H., and their lineal descendant in the fourteenth generation now holds the title: Horace, 19th Lord Forbes. 2. Sir William of Kynnaldy, of whom afterwards. 3. Sir John of Tolquhon. 4. Alexander of Brux—" Alister-Cam." Lumsden states in his family history that he was called Sir John Forbes with the black lip by a mark he had on his face. He is first mentioned as Lord of Forbes 20th August, 1387, in the settlement of a dispute between him and Adam Bishop of Aberdeen regarding the I Reg. Epis. Abd. I. 176, 238. ^orhes of Forbes marches of the lands of Lurgyndaspok (Knockespok), when it was agreed that these lands which had been held in common between the Bishop and John of Forbes deceased should be in common between Forbes and the Bishop during the latter's incumbency. On the Bishop's death two years after, the dispute was renewed with his successor, and on 6th April, 1391, Robert III. granted a warrant to perambulate the marches of the lands. It was mutually agreed on 5th July following that the lands of Lurgyndaspok between the burns of Condeland and Cotburne from head to foot, and the lands of Tulycoscheny, should be in common between the Bishop of Aberdeen and Sir John Forbes, Knight, during their lifetime.^ In 1394 Sir John was appointed Justiciary and Coroner of Aber- deenshire.2 On 8th November, 1402, Sir John and his son, Alexander of Forbes, had charter by Isabel of Douglas Lady of Mar of the lands of Edin- banchory and Craglogy.3 On 2nd January, 1404-5, he paid to Alexander Stewart Earl of Mar, Sheriff Depute of Aberdeen, 40 merks of the issue of the court last held by the Duke of Albany.4 He was frequently a witness to charters up to May, 1406, and before 20th November of that year he was succeeded by his son. I Reg. Epis. Abd. I. 176, 187-189. 2 Crawford's Peerage, 146. 3 Antiquities, IV. 170. 4 Antiquities, IV. 457. — forbcs of pitsligo L Sir William Forbes of Kynnaldy 2nd son of Sir John Forbes of Forbes, married in 1423 Agnes, only- daughter of Sir WilHam Fraser of Philorth, and by her he had at least two sons : 1. Alexander, his heir. 2. Malcolm, of Mekil Wardris. Sir William acquired from his brother Alexander, first Lord Forbes, the lands of Kynnaldy, Gordy, Davach, Manach and Petnamone, in the parish of Coldstone, County of Aberdeen, of which he had a charter by the Superior, Alexander Stewart Earl of Mar, dated "apud Aberdeen in festo Sancti Bartholomei 1419." He acquired, by his marriage with Agnes Fraser, the lands of Glaslach, Coulcanock, Tulynamolt, Nether Bulgny, Mydelmaste, Over Bulgne, Achlin with the Mill of Bulgne and the stone quarry of Culburty in the barony of Aberdour and County of Aberdeen.